Clock on Old Town Square in Prague, Prague Orloj - an astronomical clock mounted on the south wall of the Old Town Hall building is a popular and world-famous landmark of the Czech capital.
History of construction and improvements
Watches in Prague on Old Town Square, with a history of more than 600 years, are first mentioned in chronicles in 1402, but already in 1410 they are replaced with new mechanical watches with astrolabes made by the Kadan craftsman Mikulas. They were made according to the project of the scientist-astronomer J. Schindel.
In 1490, the watch was improved during the repair: calendar discs were completed, and Gothic figures were installed on the facade. The work was carried out by the master Ganush.
In the following years, restorations were carried out many more times because, due to the inexperience of the caretakers serving them, the chimes sometimes stopped themselves.
In 1552, the restoration of the clockwork was made by master Y. Taborsky.
The following improvements were made in the XVII century, when the clock mechanism was moved, some figures were installed, as well as indicators of the phases of the moon.
Watch restoration history
In 1778, the Prague authorities decided to disassemble the mechanism for scrap due to lack of finance for its repair. The local watchmaker J. Landesberger became the savior of the chimes, who in 1791 repaired them for free in order to preserve this attraction for future generations. However, due to poor care, the astrolabe began to work poorly, and could not be repaired. The figures of the apostles were added to the mechanism.
In the middle of the XIX century, the chimes again wanted to make out. The watchmakers L. Heinz, C. Danek and R. Bozhek, who collected funds for the reconstruction of watches, became the next saviors. During the restoration, R. Bozhek produced a chronometer, which now controls the mechanism (the watch is only 0.5 minutes behind, which is a good result). Since that time, as now, the repair work of Orloi mechanisms has been carried out by Heinz.
In 1945, the Prague chimes were badly damaged by the Nazis during the shelling of this part of Prague with anti-aircraft guns. All wooden parts burned out, the dial was badly damaged.
Only by 1948 the clockwork was restored, and Orloi began to work as before. All wooden figures were made anew by carver V. Sucharda, and their originals, which partially survived after the war, are now exhibited in the Prague Museum.
Since then, the clock in Prague on Old Town Square (photo below) has become a famous landmark of the Czech capital. Masters were able to restore almost 75% of the original parts of the clockwork.
Clock in Prague on Old Town Square: Description
The astronomical clock consists of several parts, the main of which are:
- astronomical discs, which determine the position of the sun and moon in the sky, showing some details of astronomy, have a zodiac ring;
- “The Movement of the Apostles” - a mechanism that drives the moving mechanical figures of the apostles and characters every hour;
- A dial with medallions that works like a calendar and shows months.
Astrolabe with the help of a clock mechanism indicates time by several systems at once:
- Babylonian, in which at different times of the year there is a different duration of the hour;
- Old Czech (Schwabacher figures are used);
- Central European - shows Roman numerals;
- Star time (Arabic numerals).
Unlike other Prague chimes, the famous clocks on the Old Town Square in Prague do not translate into daylight saving time, so they show inaccurate time for half a year (one hour behind the European time).
The calendar dial is decorated with 12 medallions, each of which represents scenes from the rural life of the Middle Ages.
What do astronomical clocks show?
The clock on the Old Town Square in Prague can be called a small planetarium, which shows the state of the universe. With the help of mechanical astrolabe, although it was built back in the Middle Ages, one can see the position of the sun and moon.
The image of the Earth (blue circle) and some part of the sky (top) represent the background. 4 moving parts rotate on the disks: the ring of the zodiac signs and the outer, the images of the sun and moon.
During the day, the Sun moves against a blue background, and at night - against a black background. At dawn and evening twilight - on the red background. To the left of the horizon is written avrora (dawn) and ortus (sunrise), to the right - occasus (sunset) and crepusculum (twilight).
The Golden Sun moves in a circle of zodiac signs and shows with a arrow and a gilded hand for a certain time:
- when referring to Roman numerals, the local Prague time is visible;
- the position of the star on curved gold lines determines the Babylonian time;
- on the outer ring, the hand shows the hours that have passed since sunset according to the Old Bohemian calculus;
- the movement of the moon occurs in the ecliptic at a higher speed, and the silver sphere shows the lunar phase.
Orloi top dial
The clock on the Old Town Square in Prague attracts the attention of tourists every hour (the performance takes place from 9.00 to 21.00).
The upper dial is astronomical, on the side of it there are 4 figures, which are located on both sides of the clock. These figures symbolize the despised vices of man:
- death reminiscent of the perishability of being;
- vanity depicted by a figure with a mirror;
- greed (Jew with a wallet);
- Turk, symbolizing the centuries-old danger to the Habsburg Empire, emanating from the Ottoman Empire.
At the top above the dial there are windows with doors, in which the figures of the 12 apostles alternately move . The movement of the Skeleton (Death), which pulls the rope, begins the appearance of the apostles in the window: St. Peter holds the key, St. Matey threatens with an ax, St. Paul holds a book in his hands, St. John - the cup, St. Jakub - the spindle, St. Shimon - a saw, St. Tomas - a spear, St. Ondrej and Philip hold crosses, St. Bartholomew wrinkles his hands with his skin, St. Barnabash holds a scroll, and St. Tadeusz holds paper in a folder under his arm.
Orloi lower dial
The clock on the Old Town Square in Prague also has a second dial - the zodiac (added in 1490), which is also decorated on two sides by figures: a chronicler, an angel, an astronomer and a philosopher.
In the outer circle of black color there is a moving circular part with zodiac signs indicating the position of the Sun in the ecliptic. The signs are arranged and go counterclockwise in order. A small golden star indicates the vernal equinox.
By the zodiac dial, you can determine the zodiac sign, name day, day and month of birth. However, a copy hangs on the town hall, and the original (written by J. Manes in the 19th century) is exhibited at the Prague Museum of History.
During the presentation, all the figures and the 12 apostles move. At the same time, the Turk shakes his head all the time, and the hunks show the wallet. The finale of the whole performance is a cock cry announcing the beginning of a new hour.
Legends of Orloi
One of the legends is connected with those times when the clock on the Old Town Square (Prague, Czech Republic) was just under construction. Master Ganush, who added a calendar dial to the chimes, so impressed the city authorities with his skill and beauty of work that they decided to deprive him of his sight so that he could never build a similar watch anywhere and nowhere. The indignant master decided to commit suicide by rushing from a height inside the Orloi mechanism, after which the chimes stopped for several years due to damage. However, history refutes this legend, the master Ganush (his real name was Jan Rouge) did refine the clockwork, and everything else is fiction.
Another legend says that when the watch stops, cataclysms must occur in the city. Such a stop occurred during the occupation of the Czech Republic by the Nazis, which ended directly on the Old Town Square when the Soviet troops destroyed the last German group in Prague on May 8, 1945.
One of the last stops of Orloi occurred in 2001, after which there was a massive flood that flooded the Czech capital (August 2002).
Prague Orloi: reviews and impressions
Chimes on Starometstka Square is one of the main attractions of Prague , attracting thousands of tourists who come in droves every hour to watch the performance with moving figures.
At night, there are no performances, and Orloi employees are engaged in the restoration and updating of mechanisms and figures in the tower. Watches require daily care (lubrication of mechanisms, etc.), for which these people are watching.
Many tourists who came to admire the clock on the Old Town Square in Prague express their reviews with enthusiasm and enthusiasm. Orloi is located in the very center of Prague, on the square where Christmas and other festivities are held, fairs are held. There are also numerous restaurants and cafes with delicious pastries and national dishes.
Conclusion
In 2010, Prague Orloj celebrated its 600th anniversary. In the city there were celebrations dedicated to this event. Over the past several hundred years, the famous chimes have attracted many tourists to Prague, and they will remain popular for more than a century.
This place is especially beautiful on New Year's Eve: in the center of the square, the largest Christmas tree in the city is set up, and festive shows are arranged around, which, surrounded by medieval spiers and castles, remind of a fabulous and beautiful theatrical performance.